Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story

by Krista Lakes

  I nodded. Daniel had asked for his will to be read the day after his death. He had everything in order and had hoped it would help his family, and company, move on quicker.

  "Thanks, Emma. I'll go make sure Bianca's ready," I said, hoping she would continue on down the hall. Dean hid behind the door. I could feel him twitching to get out, running late himself.

  Emma nodded and finally progressed down the hall. She slouched as she walked, moving slowly. It seemed like an eternity before she was finally far enough out of sight that Dean could escape.

  "I'll see you later, okay?" he whispered, kissing my cheek softly before ducking out the door. I watched him hurry down the hall and toward the guard station to check the incoming visitors into the house, his hair still glistening with water. I then carefully closed the door and headed to Bianca's room.

  I stepped into her room, expecting to find her still in bed. Instead, she was dressed, making the bed herself. Her movements were quick and almost frantic, as though she were desperately trying to distract herself.

  "Bianca?" I stepped closer to her, smelling her sweet perfume. It was Daniel's favorite, the one she only wore for special occasions.

  "He always made the bed. Before the maids could do it, he would make it. Even in hotels." Bianca stared at the bedspread. "I hate making beds, but it didn't feel right to leave it that way."

  I wrapped my arms around her, the hairspray in her hair crunching against my jaw. Her whole body was shaking, but she kept her face perfectly still. I took her hand, guiding her downstairs to the kitchen. I had a feeling she wasn't going to eat, but I needed to at least put the food in front of her. She sat staring out the window the rest of the morning, letting the coffee and eggs cool without ever touching them. When it came time for the reading of the will, she followed me like I was guiding her on a leash.

  Chapter 29

  Present Day

  The Saunders clan sat quietly in the parlor. Emma and Jack were on an old-fashioned love seat, Emma's head resting on Jack's shoulder. Robbie stood beside them, staring out the window, his hands behind his back. Several employees and close staff huddled in a group by the corner, solemn and quiet like a silent flock of black birds. I stood next to Bianca, who sat stiffly in a blue wing-backed chair. Her hair was perfect, her makeup unsmudged, but I knew inside she was screaming with loss.

  A lawyer fumbled with long sheets of paper at the head of the room, preparing to read the will. Daniel had only been dead for less than a day, but it was per his wishes that the will be read now. I swallowed my tears down. Now that I was here, Daniel's death was real again. For a few blessed moments with Dean, my heart forgot to hurt. Now it just ached as though it were making up for the missed time.

  Bianca's brown eyes stared blankly at the room. I knew she didn't see the people there, the flowers starting to arrive by the armload. She was lost in her own world.

  The lawyer cleared his throat and began the proceedings. Everyone faced forward, their eyes looking at the lawyer, but I don't think very many of us were actually listening. Daniel had made his wishes known before his death, so I wasn't paying very much attention. The lawyer rattled on about the estate, the trusts, and so on. It was all what I had expected.

  "... in addition to the aforementioned shares, a seat on the board of directors shall be given to Rachel Weber. She will no longer be an employee of DS Oil and Gas, but rather a partial owner of the company," the lawyer read. My eyes suddenly focused on him, but the lawyer was already reading the next section.

  Bianca squeezed my arm, giving me a soft smile. "He told me he was going to do that. He always considered you a part of our family, and now, you have a part of the company, like you should, since you're our daughter."

  I stared blankly at her, desperately trying to wrap my head around what Daniel had just done. A moment ago I was just a thousandaire, but now I was now a billionaire.

  ***

  The leaves fluttered outside, their oranges and browns floating to the ground and turning the grass to gold. The sky was a brilliant blue with soft wisps of clouds riding the highest winds. The breeze shook the branches of the tree outside, but beside the window in Daniel's study, it was warm and safe. I sat in Daniel's big leather chair, my feet curled up under me as I stared across his empty desk. It felt like he was still here. The books and the globe were still the same. In this room, I could imagine he wasn't gone and I could ask him what he had meant by giving me a part of his company.

  "Hey, partner," Jack said, poking his head in the door. "I thought I might find you here."

  I stayed quiet as Jack entered, shutting the door behind him and moving to the window. Outside was the field where the boys and their father had played football on fall afternoons like this one. He pulled a book from the wall, thumbing through it and looking at me.

  "I have no idea what just happened." I slumped in my seat.

  "Dad gave you a part of the company and put you on the board of directors. Even I got that," he said, flicking the book shut. He gave me a devilish smirk.

  I rolled my eyes at him. "No, I got that part. But what does that even mean? What kind of responsibilities does that entail? What's going to happen? Why did he do that?"

  Jack sat on the edge of the desk. "Well, it means that you have a ridiculous amount of money. I could stop paying you, and you would never even notice. As far as responsibilities, Robbie is on the board. That should tell you all you need to know there. What happens next is up to you. You can keep your current job, which I would appreciate, or you can quit and retire to Tahiti." He stopped looking up at the sky as he continued. "Finally, he did it because he loved you."

  I put my feet on the floor and splayed my hands across the desk. Jack watched quietly as I worked it out in my head. "This room reminds me of him. You remind me of him a lot, actually." I half-smiled as I pointed to a corner. "You used to do your homework at a little desk over there while he worked."

  Jack's lips twitched up and the corners of his eyes crinkled. "I remember. I would pretend I was running the company, just like him."

  In my mind, I could see Jack as a little boy, proudly displaying his finished assignment to a young Daniel. Daniel would always smile with satisfaction and tell him how proud he was of him.

  "He knew about you and Dean," Jack said softly.

  "I know. I told him when Dean was hired that we had been together." I fidgeted with my hands. With all the turmoil, I hadn't asked Jack about the employee contracts yet.

  Jack shifted his perch on the desk for a more direct look at me. "No, I mean that the two of you are meant to be together. My Dad thought of you as his little girl, the princess that no man would ever be worthy of. That's why he was so adamant about you following the employee dating policy. He didn't think Dean was good enough for you."

  My hands stilled, and I frowned up at Jack. "What made him change his mind?"

  Jack smiled, his hazel eyes twinkling in the sunshine. "Emma. Or rather how happy Emma makes me. He could see the chemistry between the two of you. Though, honestly, a blind man could see that the two of you were trying not to see one another." Jack put his hand on my shoulder and continued in a soft voice. "He finally saw that Dean was your Prince Charming. He wanted you to be happy, so he just gave you the coach and glass slippers. Dad did even better than a fairy godfather, though. It won't disappear at midnight."

  I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I didn't have words. Jack patted my hand gently before he slid off the edge of the desk. He stood next to the window, staring out at the changing leaves. He looked so much like his father.

  The room was quiet and the wind hummed a strange tune through the trees. I felt lost. Daniel had just given me the best gift of my life, but I was suddenly afraid. I was afraid that after all this time, it wouldn't work out. Afraid that our passion was really just an illusion that would fade once it was allowed to face the sun.

  I closed my eyes, and imagined Dean's face. How his eyes could be ice blue and yet fill me with
warmth; the curve of his lips when he smiled that cocky half-smile that sent my heart into spasms. I remembered how amazing it had felt to wake up in the middle of the night and find him sleeping next to me. I remembered that kiss in the car and how my heart soared knowing he still cared.

  We still had our issues. Twenty years of thinking someone forgot about you wouldn't be easy to forget, but I wanted to. I didn't want to live the next twenty years knowing that I had missed out on something amazing, hiding behind an employee contract, because I was too chicken to actually give love a chance. I loved Dean. I had since the moment I met him, and I never stopped, even when all common sense told me I should have.

  I looked up at Jack. My mind was made up. I was going to be with Dean. I loved him and I wasn't going to let my own fears and expectations stop us from being happy.

  "So, if I keep my current job, does that mean I get a raise?" I asked Jack. He rolled his eyes at me.

  "No. In fact, I think I might cut your hours a bit. Emma keeps telling me you have promised to design a dress for her, and so far you have been too busy to do it." Jack held his hand up to the side of his mouth as though he were letting me in on a secret. "I like to keep her happy, so you're going to need to do it soon."

  "I guess my rent is still going to be paid by DS Oil and Gas one way or another," I said, a smile creeping onto my face.

  "Well, with your new status upgrade, you now qualify to get an assistant. Choose wisely, because they will run your life." Jack gave me a wink.

  "Yeah, I don't know. I'm never going to get one as good as me anyway," I said with a shrug. Jack reached across the desk and punched my arm.

  "You'll find one. Just look for someone who's good at math. Or at least math tricks," Jack said. I stood up and I embraced him. He pulled me in close to him, hugging me tight.

  "Hey, a girl's gotta breathe," I gasped as he squeezed as tight as he could. Jack let me go, keeping a hand on my shoulder.

  "Dean's downstairs in the garden. If you need anything, let me know. I'm going to stay up here for a little bit," Jack said, glancing around the room. His shoulders dropped, and his eyes went distant as he looked around his father's office.

  "Thank you, Jack. Thank you for everything." I gave him another quick hug.

  "Get down there and tell that man that you love him and can't stand to spend another minute apart. Please. The rest of us are going to get sick off your lovey eyes if you don't." Jack shooed me with his hands toward the door. I looked back just before I closed it to see Jack sit in his father's chair. It might have been just a trick of the light, the way the dust motes fell through the sunshine, but I swear, for a moment, it looked as though Daniel was standing behind him with his hands on his son's shoulders, and smiling.

  Chapter 30

  Present Day

  The afternoon sun transformed the world into a kaleidoscope of orange and red as it filtered through the autumn leaves. Dean sat in the garden on a wrought iron bench, his eyes closed as he looked toward the sun. He reminded me of a cat, sitting there soaking up the last rays of warmth before winter.

  I stood for a moment under the rustling leaves, just admiring him. He was so handsome. His dark hair ruffled in the fall breeze, the wind mussing it like a lover's caress. His jaw was strong and smooth, his back tall and straight. Even after all this time, he still made my heart pound in my chest like a nervous school girl's. He was everything I could ever ask for; everything I could ever want.

  The leaves crackled under my feet as I followed the stone pathway to the bench. Dean opened one eye just enough for a sliver of blue to peek out, but then he closed it. His face remained impassive. I smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it. I felt like I might vibrate out of my boots. I wanted to run to him, throw my arms around his neck and tell him we could be together, but instead, I behaved like an adult and sat down next to him.

  I could see why he picked this spot. It was sheltered from the cold autumn wind and perfectly positioned to catch the afternoon sun. The garden was empty, as everyone else was inside and out of the fall weather. It was quiet, peaceful, and we were wonderfully alone. The iron was warm on my back, but the air crisp and clean. It was a beautiful afternoon. Daniel would have enjoyed it.

  "Did you hear the will?" I asked, breaking the silence. Dean tensed slightly beside me, but he didn't move.

  "Yeah. You're a billionaire now. Congratulations. I'm sure you're very happy." His voice was flat and dispassionate. It was almost as though he were angry, but I couldn't figure out why. We were going to be together.

  "You know I'd rather have Daniel alive than the money," I said, feeling a frown tighten across my face. A cloud passed in front of the sun, blocking its warmth. Without it shining down, I was very aware of the oncoming winter chill.

  Dean sighed and turned to me. "I know. I know how much he meant to you. How much they all mean to you. Daniel, Emma, Jack, even Bianca—they're your family. They're your world."

  I didn't know what to say to that, but he wasn't done speaking. He frowned, the corners of his perfect mouth going thin. "I have a job offer in LA. A rising starlet. I leave next week."

  The ground seemed to crumbled beneath me like an autumn leaf. I shook my head as if hit by his words. "Please don't take it." The words came out as a whisper as if the wind had been knocked out me.

  Dean took my hands in his, their warmth in stark contrast to the cold I was feeling. His blue eyes were earnest, and I could see the emotion rolling through them like storm clouds. "I can't take being here, being this close to you and not being able to touch you. To sit in a room with you and not be able to hold your hand. I want to kiss you all the time. I want to be able to comfort you, but I know that if I do, we'll lose everything we've worked for. I can't do that to you. You love these people too much for me to ask you to give them up."

  "But we can be together now. Things have changed." I couldn't get the words out fast enough. He thought that he needed to leave me in order to keep me with the people I loved, but I could have them and him. We didn't have to choose between love and duty. Not again.

  "What?" Dean's voice cracked slightly, his hands tightening around mine. Hope shone in his eyes, but he held it in check, as though afraid it could disappear. The sun came out from behind the cloud, bathing the two of us in golden light.

  "Daniel made me an executive of the company. Not an employee. Executives can date employees. How do you think Jack was able to take his secretary to the Caribbean? As an executive, I can do whatever I want." My voice trembled as I gently touched his cheek. "And what I want, is you."

  The smile that lit up Dean's face was the sweetest one I had ever seen. He reached for me, wrapping his arms around me and finding my mouth with his. My world dissolved into golden euphoria. The sun shone down, the leaves fluttered, and the grass slept. We were happy.

  Dean kissed my forehead, his smile brightening my world better than any sun. His lips brushed my skin as he whispered, "You're all I've ever wanted."

  Pure joy bubbled up in my core, making my fingers tingle and my eyes start to water with uncontainable bliss. The man of my dreams, the one I had always wanted, the one that had always wanted me, was finally mine. There were no boundaries. We could have love and duty, without sacrificing either. I smiled as I kissed him, knowing that we had a beautiful future together.

  Epilogue

  Emma smiles at me. She fixes my veil one last time, making sure it is still on straight, then smooths the hair curling gently around my shoulders. She says something about weddings, and I smile automatically. My mind isn't on her. It's on the person waiting for me at the end of the stone pathway. Dean is waiting for me.

  She fusses with Jack's tie, making sure that it, too, is on straight. He gives her a warm smile and shoos her out of the house. I can hear her heels clicking on the steps as she hurries to the garden to tell them we're ready to begin. I feel like I'm going to float away I'm so happy. I wonder how it is possible for any one person to brim with so much joy to th
e point of overflowing, yet here I am, barely able to contain myself.

  Dean is waiting for me.

  Jack takes my hand, placing it in the crook of his arm as we start to walk out the main doors. I remember my flowers at the last moment and I pull myself free to grab them. I grasp them tightly as I give my hand back to Jack. He smiles at my excitement and gives my arm a squeeze.

  Dean is waiting for me.

  The sun makes me blink as we step out of the Saunders' mansion, but my eyes quickly adjust. Jack helps me navigate the stairs with my heels and floor-length dress. I love my dress. It's simple but elegant. I feel beautiful, and Dean is going to love it. I'm so excited I have to refrain from running to the garden I'm so excited.

  Dean is waiting for me.

  As soon as we enter, music begins to play. I don't really hear it.

  Dean is waiting for me.

  He's standing in the gazebo, his blue eyes bright, wearing that crooked grin I love. I can feel the smile on my face somehow grow wider. My feet glide just above the stones as Jack escorts me to the man I love.

  Dean is waiting for me.

  Jack shakes Dean's hand and gives me a hug. I can feel tears in my eyes as he lets me go. Jack gives me beaming grin and returns to his wife. There are only a few people sitting in the garden, but that's how Dean and I wanted it. I can see Jenny and Kimberly sitting with Sheriff Grinswald. Bianca wipes a tear from her cheek.

  Dean's hands are warm as he takes mine in his. I wonder if he can feel me shaking. It's not because I'm nervous; it's because I'm excited. I get to have the love of my life. After today, we won't ever have to be apart again. My heart soars at the thought.

  The minister asks me a question, and I answer it with a simple, "I do." Dean repeats the words. I don't need to hear the minster ask the words because I've already promised them in my heart.